In this article, we will take a look at the 5 Energy Stocks That Crushed Earnings Estimates in the First Quarter. For a deeper discussion and analysis, please refer to the 10 Energy Stocks That Crushed Earnings Estimates in the First Quarter.
5. Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:SEI)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 65
Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:SEI) delivers proprietary power generation and distribution solutions, as well as logistics equipment and services, to clients in the data center, energy, commercial, and industrial sectors.
Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:SEI) soared to an all-time high after reporting strong results for its Q1 2026. The company grew its adjusted earnings by 120% YoY and 26% sequentially to $0.44 per share, topping consensus by $0.18. At the same time, its revenue of $196 million was also up by over 55% compared to last year and beat forecasts by $11 million.
Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:SEI) has emerged as a strong beneficiary of the strong power demand from the AI data centers, as it is a supplier of modular, gas-powered turbines that power these facilities. As a result, the company’s Power Solutions segment delivered a sequential adjusted EBITDA growth of 24% during the first quarter, driven primarily by the increased activity.
Additionally, Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:SEI) announced over 2 GW of long-term contracted power with three different leading technology companies in Q1, in addition to expanding its generation capacity by over 40% to 3.1 GW.
Following the impressive start to the year, Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:SEI) raised its total adjusted EBITDA guidance for Q2 by 10% to $83 million to $93 million. Moreover, the company introduced a Q3 guidance of $80 million to $95 million, tied to a shift from temporary to permanent power at the Stateline JV and deliveries of new equipment.
4. Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 65
Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) is the world’s premier independent petroleum refiner and a leading producer of low-carbon transportation fuels.
Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) reported an adjusted profit of $4.22 per share in its Q1 report on April 30, topping expectations by $1.06 on the back of strength in its refining segment, margins, and throughput volumes. Revenue for the quarter also surged by 7% YoY to $32.4 billion and beat estimates by over $2.5 billion.
Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO)’s refining segment delivered an operating income of $1.8 billion in Q1, compared to an operating loss of $530 million in the same period last year. The company’s margin per barrel of throughput was $14.90 during the quarter, up from $9.78 in the year-ago period, while average throughput volumes also surged by 3.6% to 2.9 million barrels per day.
Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) expects the $230 million St. Charles FCC optimization project to begin operations in the third quarter of this year. The company expects refining margins to remain strong for six months to a year even after the waterway of Hormuz reopens, since that will be the amount of time required to restore refined product inventories to pre-war levels.
3. Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI) is one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America. The company has an interest in or operates approximately 78,000 miles of pipelines and 136 terminals.
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI) posted a solid performance in its Q1 report on April 22. The company grew its adjusted EPS by 41% YoY to $0.48 and topped expectations by $0.09, helped by the increased US natural gas demand due to the Middle East conflict and data center expansion. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter surged by 18% YoY to over $2.5 billion, while revenue also increased by almost 14% YoY to $4.83 billion and beat estimates by $280 million.
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI) moved about 49,475 billion Btu of natural gas a day during the first quarter, up from 45,978 billion Btu a day in the year-ago period. However, the company’s total product volumes, including refined fuels such as jet fuel and diesel, fell to 1,965 thousand bpd from 2,047 thousand barrels a day a year earlier.
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI) expects its net income attributable to the company to remain flat at $3.1 billion in FY 2026, while adjusted EPS is forecasted to rise 5% YoY to $1.36. Moreover, Kinder Morgan expects adjusted EBITDA of $8.6 billion for the year.
2. Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 88
Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) designs, manufactures, sells, and installs solid-oxide fuel cell systems for on-site power generation in the United States and internationally. Bloom’s Energy Server generates power onsite, converting fuels like natural gas, biogas, and hydrogen into electricity without combustion.
Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) rallied to a new high after crushing Wall Street estimates in its Q1 report on April 28, driven by the rising demand for digital power as part of the artificial intelligence boom. The company’s adjusted EPS of $0.44 topped forecasts by $0.31, while its revenue more than doubled to $751 million and exceeded expectations by $211 million.
Notably, Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) raised its guidance for FY 2026, with the company now forecasting adjusted EPS in the range of $1.85 to $2.25, up from $1.33 to $1.48 previously. Moreover, it raised its revenue target for the year from $3.1 billion –$3.3 billion to $3.4 billion – $3.8 billion, indicating a robust YoY growth of 80% at the midpoint.
Polen Capital, an investment management company, stated the following regarding Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) is a provider of solid oxide fuel cells that play a critical role in delivering clean, reliable, “always on” power at scale. AI data centers require an enormous amount of power and one of the key challenges to date has been the inability of power grids to supply the necessary electricity to meet the constant and growing demands from AI workloads. Bloom’s “Energy Server” fuel cells help address this issue, generating cost-efficient, reliable power onsite, converting fuels like natural gas, biogas and hydrogen into electricity without combustion. With the high demand for always on, decentralized power solutions, Bloom stands to potentially benefit from both capacity expansions and new project wins tied to hyperscaler and industrial customers.”
1. GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 115
Topping our list of Energy Stocks that Beat Earnings Estimates is GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV). The company engages in the provision of various products and services that generate, transfer, orchestrate, convert, and store electricity in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) soared to an all-time high after exceeding forecasts in its Q1 2026 earnings on April 22. The sharp rise in power demand has boosted the orders for gas turbines and grid equipment, strengthening the company’s core businesses. GEV delivered an adjusted EPS of $2.01 during the quarter against estimates of $1.67, while its revenue also surged by more than 16% YoY to over $9.3 billion and beat forecasts by $90 million.
GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) grew its adjusted EBITDA by 87% YoY to $896 million, while its net profit also skyrocketed to $4.75 billion, up from $264 million in the same period last year. Notably, the company’s free cash flow of $4.8 billion during the quarter was more than what it generated in the whole of 2025.
GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) added $13 billion to its backlog in Q1, taking the total to $163 billion. The company now expects to reach its $200 billion backlog goal in 2027, versus its previous forecast of 2028.
Given the strong start to the year, GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) raised its FY 2026 revenue guidance to $44.5-$45.5 billion, up from $44-$45 billion previously. Moreover, the company boosted its free cash flow target for the year to between $6.5 billion and $7.5 billion, up from its previous forecast of $5 billion to $5.5 billion.
Fred Alger Management, an investment management company, stated the following regarding GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) is a purpose-built global energy company operating through three segments — Power, Wind, and Electrification — that provide technologies to generate, transfer, convert, and store electricity. The company supports approximately a quarter of the world’s electricity generation through a massive installed base of gas and wind turbines, and its record backlog and high-margin services business provide significant visibility into long-term free cash flow potential through the end of the decade. We believe GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to benefit from the global energy transition and rising power demand driven by AI data centers. During the quarter, shares contributed positively to performance supported by a strong fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report that highlighted a significant organic increase in orders, led by a tripling of Gas Power equipment orders and record bookings in the Electrification segment.”
While we acknowledge the potential of GEV to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than GEV and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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